Dodge City times., 1887-12-29
.wer, they don't look ON it that

Trade there"
'.Does it get under water?''
al is of folks get swamped in
boards of trade in all parts of the
world"
WAS it full of water in Amsters
when you was there?'
mo. That wasn't the water cay.
It was full of something else. WIN at
do you think, now?
Men?
mo 1t was men that 1 expected to
find there. but l found something far
worse than men. Not man dared to
show his face in the exchange that
day. They were afraid. What do you
think it wasp
''Bears?"
NO; that was not the day for
either bulls or bears. Something
worse"
''Lions?"
mo. sir Worse than lions" =
Tigers then"
"Worse than tigers"
Il didn't think there was any thing
worse than tigers. Elephants?'
'Oh. ever so much worse than ele-
plants. Listen and hold your breath.
That great building was full of little
boys. Yes. sir. Think of that"
'.Are the little boys in Amstcrs very
bad?"
bad? Aren't they bad all the world
over? But those boys were awful.
When your innocent father went in
there they gave one terrifying whoop
and went for him. The stove in his
hat; the tore his coat; there were a
thousand boys, more or less. on his
shoulders most Of the time, and. when
your honored parent got outside you
wouldn't have known him. He was
the worst used up parent yow ever
saw"
What did those boys do that for?"
Didn't they know you had a little boy
at home?'
my son. they didn't stop to make
any inquiries. They seemed to want
no particulars about my family. 1t
was me they wanted at that moment,
and they got me. ;"
Il think that was DIRE a,lful."
'Iquitc agree with you ut the mo-
ment. You see. this was how 1t was
There is one day in the year when all
the little boys of Amsterdam have the
run of the exchange If a grown-up
man goes in that day they have pic
mic with him. The doorkeeper knew
all about l.. but your poci papa d didn't.
though he noticed the door man grin
when he went in
''He was bad man."
III, was. indeed. but to make up for
it he told your papa all about why the
boys were thore and SO that kind of
made up for it. The guide book says
that in 1922, some few years before
you came to this country. the boys of
the town discovered plot of the Span
iartls TO take the city of Amsterdam.
and since that time the children are
allowed to pay for week in the EX-
change. But l like better the story
tha old man told me. 1t was about
Il little boy who was the hero Of
mot the hero of HARLEM, papa?"
What about him?"
''Oh. that little boy. You know.
He stayed up all night and didn't let
The water run into the town till his
arm ached. Don't you remembcr?''
Didn't say this was new story?
You are trying to work Oft that old
one on me.
Then it isn't tta; one," with a sigh
of relief.
''N"; that danger is past. This is
an entirely fresh one. The little boy
was one day playing under a bridge.
There are lots of bridges in Amster-
dam. He heard two men on barge
tell each other how next day when the
King was to cross that brid ge they
were going to blow it up. You see
the barge was full of gunpowder. So
the little boy crept out and ran and
fold his father. and his father went TO
the palace and told the Kings men,
and they went and caught the two men
and found the barge full of powder,
and then the men confessed and told
who had given them the money 10 do
it The King sent for the little boy.
and his father brought him there be-
fore all the court. You may be sure
the little boy was very much fright
ened.'
ID they kill him?"
"Why. of course not. What would
they kill him for?'
Il thought Kings always killed lit
IL, boys when they caught them"
"Oh. no. You wrong Kings very
much. They often have little boys of
their own, and, strange to say. like
them very much"
"And are they just like other folks
little boys?"
Precisely the same. They make
the King tell stories till his head aches
and the crown won't fit. Well. as
was saying, the King heard how this lit
tie boy hal saved his life, and he
pa,ted the boy on the head and told
him that he could have whatever he
asked for.
"Tben there was an awful, anxious
moment for that boys papa. He
hoped the boy would have sense
enough to ask for S100. O0o and a new